[raidex1]

When parked and the front tires are straight my steering wheel needs to go to the right about 3 inches in order to be squared up. Can I drop the pitman arm turn the steering wheel straight and put pitman arm back on steering box? I changed steering box and that was the only thing that was apart.

[PMDRACER]

Not usually. IIRC, the pitman arm is keyed so you can only put it on one way.

The easy way to fix it is to loosen up the bolts (2 ea.) on the tie rod sleeves and turn both of them equal amounts in the same direction. Go about 1/2 turn at a time. That will re-center the wheel.

Edit:
Nice car, BTW!!!

[85_SS]

Can the steering wheel itself be rotated on A-bodies or does the horn mechanism only allow a single position? If so, perhaps it's off by a couple splines?

Mine is off a touch as well - I was hoping to be able to address it in this manner when I change the ignition cylinder in the spring...

[GStage1]

Sometimes the alignment will take out the mis-alignment with the steering wheel....otherwise you can remove one of the teeth on the lock plate and re-orient it on the steering shaft.

[UPC-WU2]

I agree with PMDRACER. I did this on my GT-37. It takes a little time but it is not difficult.

[West Coast GTO]

The adjusters for the tie rods sleeves are the answer but recommend that, after the adjustment, you still have the front end aligned. If not aligned better than by eyesight, can scrub tread off front tires.
My two cents.

[Rob B]

Do what PMD And West Coast said but make sure you do it with the car on the ground. not on jackstands and either turn both adjusting sleeves at the same time or have someone help you. This is how most alignment shops set the steering wheel. The steering wheel can only go on one way because of the horn button.
It only takes a few minutes to do this, no big deal.

[85_SS]

Just to add to this thread - I recently swapped a new steering wheel in my GTO and you are indeed able to rotate the wheel on the shaft several splines to make up for minor differences. The lockplate and dust cover both have a slot in them for the horn contact that allows for this rotation/adjustment.

Here's a couple pictures that show the notches that allow this rotation:


Picture source: http://www.buickperformance.com/tilt...lumnwobble.htm


...three inches might be pushing it, but if you have a steering wheel puller, it would be a ten minute job to give it a try. You don't even have to pull the lock plate as the plastic horn contact/cam cancel ring will rotate underneath it.

[Lemans1970]

I would definitely take it to an alignment shop before pulling/adjusting at the steering wheel, pitman arm, steering box, or anything like that.

[Terry Gartner]

Something else to consider. This is something I've done. The lower steering shaft where it mounts to the rag joint should only go one way. The two bolts that fasten the two together are different sizes so you can only attach them one way. When people remove the column they have a tendancy to disgard them and put what ever works in there. I may be all wet, but just something I've noticed.